DHARAMSHALA, January 6: A first of its kind meeting of more than 150 Tibetan teachers and educational administrators concluded here Saturday after three days of discussions and brainstorming.

The ‘First Tibetan Teachers’ Meeting,’ organised by the Department of Education under the Central Tibetan Administration, was held at the Lower Tibetan Children’s Village School, Dharamshala.

Speaking to Phayul, Ngodup Tsering, Secretary of the Department of Education said one of the main aims of the meeting was to provide the teachers the opportunity to interact directly with Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay and brief him about the situation in their respective schools.

Sikyong Sangay, the elected head of the Tibetan people, is also the Kalon for the Education Department.

“During the meeting the teachers brainstormed on concrete ways on how to improve the standard of education in Tibetan schools and also discussed about the medium of education to be used in the classes VI, VII, and VIII,” Tsering said.

He added that the resolutions adopted during the meeting will be implemented in Tibetan schools.

“We are now in the process of compiling the reports and the resolutions of the six sub-committees following which the final resolution and some recommendations will be adopted,” Tsering said. “These will then be implemented in our schools eventually.”

Similar meetings are likely to be organised in the near future as well.

Dawa Tashi, a teacher at the Central School for Tibetans, Darjeeling, told Phayul the meeting was “a very good experience” and that he learned a lot over the three days.

“Discussing and sharing our experiences, I was able to understand and learn so many things,” Tashi said. “I feel that we have been able to contribute in further developing our education system.”

The Department of Education currently oversees 73 Tibetan schools – excluding the pre-primary sections and private schools – in India and Nepal under different autonomous administrative bodies. There are around 24,000 students and 2,200 staff members in these schools.